Travelers across dimensions
by sakurademonalchemist
Summary: Gon meets a strange girl named Fen and her pet hawk, Heimdall. But isn't all that she seems as Gon and his friends discover throughout the Hunter Exam! Continuation of another fanfic titled The tale of Norse Deities.
1. Prologue: the story so far

**Prologue: what's happened so far**

Hello, I'm Kiri-chan (call me Fen)! If you enjoyed the first part of my tale, which is called the Tale of Norse Deities, then I hope you'll enjoy the next leg of my journey! To those who haven't read the first part, here's an easy-to-understand summary!

* * *

In the beginning I was originally with my parents, Sakura Elric and Kumo (Makenshi). My parents were about to take me to a family reunion when I was suddenly sucked up by a bizarre whirlwind! I was thrown into a world where the gods and goddesses from Norse mythology lived! Loki, the dark god of Mischief, Tricks and Flame, found me and took me back to Asgard, the world of the Gods. I was reborn into this amazing world, and was renamed Lunartimus, (Later I became Fenra, or Fen for short.)

* * *

After an incident with Odin, who rules all the gods and goddesses, I left Asgard and stayed with my two brothers, Fenrir and Migardsomr. I came back many years later and stirred things up quite a bit with the help of my boyfriend, Heimdall. I did have some trouble because my 'father', Loki, didn't even recognize me! We dueled and I eventually won.

After the confrontation, Loki finally revealed the truth of my origins, and so my two older brothers, Heimdall and I went in search of my real parents. We had some difficulty with the Dimensional Gateway, but I eventually managed to get it open. The first world we came to had some amazing sights, as well as quite a few odd characters! We left the world traveling with five others named, Syaoran, Sakura, Fai D. Flowright, Kurogane and Mokona.

* * *

Now is when things start getting _really_ weird. The first world we came to, called the Hashiin Republic, ended up being the only world we'd visit with our new friends. After we were attacked, a new Dimensional Gateway appeared out of nowhere; Heimdall, Fenrir and I were sucked in! This new dimension, which we later found out where we were, had an interesting and dangerous test known as "The Hunter Exam". Fenrir went back to our home world, while Heimdall stayed with me. I decided to take the Hunter Exam along with two others named Gon and Leorio.

Right now I'm following Gon's example; I'm fishing over the side of the ship. Leorio, an annoying man with glasses, made a foolish mistake by insulting Heimdall, who was disguised as a Hawk. Heimdall retaliated by dive-bombing him, and many of us got a good laugh out of it.

Well, that about covers what's happened to me so far. But what exactly is the Hunter Exam? And what surprises are in store for me and my friends?

* * *

**(For the fans of Hunter x Hunter, don't get mad about the fact that I added this even though none of the main characters are actually from the anime/manga! I liked the show enough that I threw my own characters into the main storyline! I hope you enjoy the fanfic. If you get confused about Fen and Heimdall, read the first part title the Tale of Norse Deities. It's not in the HxH category, but it might clear a few things up about the two!)**


	2. The first challenge

**The first challenge**

After a few moments, Fen got a bite.

* * *

"Oy! I think I got something!" she exclaimed.

"Same here! Let's reel them in on the count of three!" exclaimed Gon.

"1, 2, 3! There's no escape from me fishy!" laughed Fen.

Heimdall raised a sleepy, disinterested eye at her laugh, then went back to sleep.

"Woah! We caught some big fish, didn't we Gon?"

"And rare I might add," joked the captain.

"Eh, what do you mean rare?" asked Fen.

"Flying Bounto fish are rare around Whale Island. I'm surprised that we caught 2 this big!"

* * *

It was then that Fen and Gon noticed something odd about the gulls flying overhead. They reminded Fen of the story about the Mariner who shot the albatross and brought bad luck.

"There's a storm coming…" said Gon.

"I can feel the wind, and there is a storm heading our way," said Fen quietly.

"How big is it, and how long until we hit it?" asked the captain.

"Fairly big, and close to 2 hours before it catches up to us," said Fen and Gon.

"I've been in the business long enough and you are the second and third person to get it right!" laughed the captain.

"Gon, are you trying to tell me that you can understand birds?!" snorted Leorio.

"Not completely. I can understand most of what they're saying though," replied Gon.

"Men, lower the sails!" shouted the captain.

"Aye Aye!"

* * *

As the men lowered the sails, something amusing happened to Leorio. Fen and the others got a look into how good his luck was as a wooden bucket came flying through the air and crashed onto his face! The wood from the bucket was once again sent flying and a blond passenger who was laying nearby easily evaded the falling splinters. Fen and Heimdall tried not to laugh at Leorio and his very bad luck!

The storm tossed several people to and fro; only five were unaffected. Gon was rolling a barrel to stay on his feet; Leorio moved with the ship's rocking, the blond boy form earlier was sleeping in a hammock, and Fen? She was making sure Heimdall didn't get too seasick! This, was unfortunately, his first time on a boat of any size! He had a difficult time holding down his lunch.

"Captain, there's a leak below deck!" exclaimed one of the crew.

"Then plug it up with the useless passengers!" growled the captain.

"Aye, Aye sir!"

* * *

When the captain traded places with one of the crew, he went to check up on the passengers. He was amused to see that out of all the fools trying to become Hunters, only 4 were unaffected by the ship's movements!

"What are your names?" asked the captain.

"I'm Fen and this bird on my shoulder is Heimdall."

"And why are you taking the Hunter exam?"

"I want to find my parents…" answered Fen,

"And you kid?"

"I'm Gon. I want to become a Hunter like my father!" answered Gon.

"How 'bout you?" he asked the blond boy.

"I cannot see any reason why I should reveal my name…" he started when the captain interrupted.

"Is that so? Well then you can forget the Hunter Exam right now!" the captain growled.

"Nani?!" the boy exclaimed.

"Haven't you figured it out?! The Hunter Exam has already begun!"

The boy and Leorio were stunned.

"Alright then, how about you?"

"I'm Leorio, and I want to become a Hunter for the money!"

"Oh great…a greedy fool!" griped Fen.

"All right then, care to answer the question?" the captain asked the boy.

"My name is Kurapika Kuruta. I wish to become a Black List Hunter to avenge my clan," he finally said.

* * *

(The rest pretty much follows what happens in the anime and manga…)

At the port, the captain gave Gon one last bit of advice. And so, Fen, Kurapika and Gon all followed his advice to the next part of the selection process. Leorio followed soon after he realized that he'd been tricked…


	3. The final challenges

**The final challenges!**

The next challenge the group faced was the difficult two choice quiz! They had to chose between two very difficult choices, and if they got it wrong they couldn't go through! Fen was surprised, but she was more than ready for this kind of test.

* * *

The question was:

"Someone has taken your son and daughter hostage. You can only rescue one; which do you chose?"

They had only 5 seconds to come up with an answer. The five seconds passed by; the air felt heavy as the old woman counted down.

Leorio thought that they had failed and attempted to attack the examiner. Kurapika barely stopped him before he made a mistake. They had passed the test and could proceed to the next stage.

(The correct answer was nothing. Silence was the true answer needed to get past the quiz.)

* * *

The next and final challenge before the actual examine, was the Navigator. They had to impress the Navigator in order to make it to the exam center on time. They went through the secret passage; and across the lake to the forest.

They arrived at the house beneath the tall tree they had seen from the port. Leorio went to knock first. When they finally opened the door, they were in for a rude awakening! For inside the house was a Beast; he had a woman in his claws. He took off into the forest; the girl still in his paws. Gon, Kurapika and Fen took off after it; Leorio stayed behind with Heimdall to care for the injured man.

"Where did it go?!" exclaimed Kurapika.

"There! To the left!" yelled Fen and Gon in unison.

_How were they able to see a shadow in this dark forest?!_ Kurapika wondered.

"Are you sure that it's the beast?" asked Kurapika.

"I lived on Whale Island, and it was pitch black in the forest at night." Gon explained.

"I possess telepathic abilities and so I sensed the creature's presence!" replied Fen.

"HEY! LET HER GO!" yelled Gon.

"What makes you think I'll listen to you, runt?!" retorted the creature.

"Woah! Did you hear that? It actually spoke!" exclaimed Gon.

"That's why they're called Beasts. They're creatures who can speak our language! That particular Beast is called a Kiriko; they can take human form!" retorted Kurapika.

"In that case…Gon, you thinkin' what I'm thinking?" said Fen.

"Yup!"

"OY! YOU STUPID KIRIKO!!" shouted Fen and Gon in unison.

The Kiriko turned to face them in time to be hit in the face! He dropped the girl; Fen and Gon continued chasing it while Kurapika looked after the poor woman.

* * *

(The part with Leorio follows the anime/manga)

* * *

"Hehehe, I'm impressed. You managed to keep up in this forest! Now I think it's time to repay you for hitting me earlier!" said the Kiriko.

"Nani? What are you talking about? We haven't done anything to you!" exclaimed Fen.

The Kiriko started charging; Gon and Fen stayed still when the beast came within striking distance! It stopped right before its claws came into contact with Gon and Fen.

"Why? Why didn't you dodge?!" exclaimed the Kiriko.

"Why should we? We haven't done anything to cause an attack!" replied Gon.

"Where's the one he hit earlier? You're different from the other one…" said Fen.

"Your voice is higher pitched and your face is a little more angular," said Gon.

The Kiriko started laughing.

"Hey honey! You gotta come see this!" it laughed.

* * *

(You know the drill. It basically follows the anime/manga from here…) 


	4. The first part of the Exam

**The first part of the Exam**

When they finally arrived at the Hunter Exam, they were nervous, yet excited. The Navigator led them to a restaurant and used a code to get them in. He tossed to each of them a tag with numbers. The order went; Leorio-403, Kurapika-404, Gon-405, and Fen-406. The elevator slowly made its way down; when it finally stopped, they knew that they had finally arrived!

* * *

"You're the four-hundred and sixth person to arrive," said a strange man sitting on a pipe that ran down the tunnel.

"And you are…?" muttered Fen.

"Name's Tompa," he said.

"Right; what do you want?" griped Fen. She wasn't in the mood for an idiot right then. She idly noticed a silvery-gray haired boy staring at her. She decided to wander around a little bit.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna walk around a bit. I'll meet back up with you when the Exam gets under way," she said.

"Sure!" replied Gon.

* * *

She walked over to the boy and said, "Hello!"

"Um, hi…" he said cautiously.

"Not much of a talker are you…" she joked.

"More like I don't feel like talking that much…" he replied.

"What's your name?"

"Killua. And you are…?"

"Fen," she replied.

"Fen, then. What do you want?" Killua asked.

"What, never heard of a friendly conversation before?"

"Nope."

"Nice skateboard."

"Thanks, I guess…" Killua mumbled.

Fen looked over towards Gon and the others. They seemed to be getting along with the shifty-eyed man named Tompa.

"Gon is way too trusting…" she muttered.

"What's with the bird?" Killua asked.

"He's my friend, Heimdall."

"Weird name for such a cool looking hawk…" Killua mumbled.

Heimdall quietly shrieked. Fen gave him an amused look before she said, "He said thanks for the compliment. You obviously know what the word _tactful_ means!"

"Did he really say all that?"

"More or less."

A scream filled the air and they looked at the direction it came from. Some poor fool had crossed paths with a sinister and maniacal clown by the name of Hisoka.

* * *

A strange buzzer sounded and the Examiner appeared at last. He turned it off and Fen silently gave a sigh of relief.

"Noise bothered you?" said Killua.

"How'd you guess…" she grumbled, "I better go back to those fools; see you later Killua-kun!"

"Bye…" said Killua as he thought, _what a strange yet friendly girl…_

The 1rst part of the Hunter Exam had finally started. It was deceptively simple. All they had to do was keep up with the Examiner until they reached the second Exam site!

Too bad they started to pick up the pace half an hour after they started…

* * *

Leorio started to lag behind. Killua paused as Gon and Kurapika stopped. Tompa decided to trick them yet again. Tompa mentioned a Healing Cedar Sap, but Fen wasn't convinced. She followed Tompa as he led Leorio and another rookie into a cunning trap!

"I knew you were a con artist!!" roared Fen, pissed.

"So what? There's nothing you can do about it!" retorted Tompa.

Gon and Kurapika were heading to where Leorio was, as they were concerned about him. Killua ran into Tompa as the con artist was attempting to rejoin the main group.

"You know that people who play dirty tricks die dirty ways, right?" snarled Killua.

Tompa quickly backed away from him; Killua ignored him and continued to go towards Fen and the others.

* * *

Kurapika was falling victim to the sap's hallucinating powers; Gon was desperately trying to help him, to no avail. Killua caught up with Fen and Gon and then gave Kurapika a good kick to the side. It snapped him out of the sap's grasp.

Leorio was still under its spell when the explosives Killua set off brought him back to reality. They managed to catch up with the main group; though Fen was trying hard not to laugh at the look on everyone's face!

(Next up, the swamp!)


	5. The swamp and Hisoka

**The swamp and Hisoka**

After they finally caught back up with the main group; the reached the end of the tunnel quickly. A large metal door begins to lower itself, closing the door. They were about to continue when a figure appears carrying a strange creature; the creature looked all too familiar…

"Is it just me, or does that thing look like the Examiner?" said Fen.

The man claimed that he was the real Examiner; the one who led them there was silent. Fen was puzzled, but she noticed something that the others didn't. The man claiming to be a Hunter wasn't human.

"How do we know that you're really human?" she growled, menacingly.

"I AM HUMAN! HE'S THE ONE WHO…" started the man.

Hisoka threw several playing cards; three killed the imposter, the other three the real Examiner caught.

"Only the real Examiner could catch those cards. Problem solved," snorted Hisoka.

* * *

They resumed running, screams filling the air. The competition was thinning rapidly; Hisoka took it upon himself to speed up the elimination process. He quickly and ruthlessly killed several would-be Hunters with only a single card. Three remained in the group, Kurapika and Leorio among them.

Gon went back to help them, and even landed a hit on Hisoka! Leorio was unconscious, and Hisoka picked him up and carried him to the next site. Gon and Kurapika had to catch up, and were the last ones to arrive. (They followed Gon's nose; he trailed after Leorio's bad cologne.)

Killua had a strange expression on his face when he found out how Gon tracked them. Killua couldn't help but have a strange vision in his head of Gon with a dog-like face. Fen giggled behind him, he gave her an equally strange look. He had a second mental image of her with a bird-like face.

_

* * *

Hey! I'm not a birdbrain! Fen retorted in her mind. She directed this at Killua for the mental image._

_What the…?!_

_What's the matter Killua, never heard of TELEPATHY?_ She growled.

_I better remember not to taunt her in my head from now on…_

_Wise choice…_ Fen cackled.

'_Could you at least ask before you talk to me through my head next time?!' _thought Killua.

'_Fair enough. Next time I'll be sure to give you a warning, 'kay?'_

Killua sighed. This was the strangest day he's ever had…

* * *

A loud rumble filled the air.

"What was that, an earthquake?!" exclaimed Fen.

'_Sounded more like an empty stomach to me…'_ replied Heimdall.

"How would you know what that sounds like? You've never went hungry in your entire life!" retorted Fen.

His reply was cut short as another sound filled the air. The doors slowly opened; the Second part of the Exam was underway.


	6. The second test is: COOKING LESSONS?

**The second Exam is…COOKING LESSONS?!**

When the doors finally opened, the occupants and the source of the rumbling earlier became apparent. A giant of a man and a girl with pinkish-purple hair were sitting down. Their names were Buhara and Menchi. They were what are known as Epicurian Hunters. (Meaning that they hunt down rare cuisines. FOOD)

* * *

The first half of the 2nd exam was, you guessed it, catching a wild boar and roasting it. Buhara would judge the applicants. Out of the 140 contenders remaining from the first Exam, only 71 actually passed.

Next was Menchi, a world reknowned cook and a Single Star Hunter at the age of 21. She was also a bit picky when it came to food…

* * *

Her test? Sushi!

The candidates had to make 'pressed sushi'. Very few of them actually knew what sushi was, let alone how to make it! Fen was shocked at how easy the test would be.

"Heimdall, I need you to go to the nearest stream and bring me some fresh fish, 'kay?" said Fen quietly.

Heimdall cried out and as if to ask, "Why?"

"I don't have time to explain, but can you please go get the fish? I'll let you have the spares…" said Fen.

Heimdall shrugged as if to say, "Fine, I'll do it…"

* * *

Fifteen minutes later he returned with several fish in his claws.

"Arigato!" said Fen happily.

Heimdall gave her a look that said, "What the hell does that mean?!"

"Means thank you."

Fen quickly cut the fish and started making a very strange dish. In less than ten minutes she finished her entry.

"I believe you asked for pressed sushi, correct?" said Fen as she presented her dish.

Menchi took the entry and put it to the test.

"It's pretty good! You pass!" said Menchi happily.

* * *

The others failed miserably. The only person who _did_ know what the dish was other than Fen blabbed to the others and Menchi got annoyed. She failed everyone else. This resulted in the president of the Hunter Organization coming to correct this problem.

"You let your temper get in the way of your judgement. How about we redo the second exam and this time you show them how it's done!" he said.

The only one exempt from the retake was Fen.

(You know, the rest follows the original storyline!)

**I would like readers to know that the only reason that this chapter is so short is because Spell Check crapped out on me while I was typing this. So I ended the chater quickly and started the next.**


	7. The tower challenge: Majority Rules

**The tower challenge…Majority Rules**

When Fen and the others made it to the third Exam Site, everyone was ready to face the next hurtle. Their next challenge was to get to the bottom within 3 days. The stone tower was a cylinder-like shape and had footholds on random intervals. One of the candidates was a professional rock climber; he attempted to climb down the side of the tower only to be eaten by strange bird-like creatures.

"I guess we can't climb down the side then…" said Killua.

* * *

It took Kurapika at least 15 minutes to notice that over half the candidates were gone. They had already found the entrance into the tower and were making their way down. 

"Kurapika! Leorio! We found something!" called Gon.

"It looks like it's an entrance into the tower." Killua said.

He showed them the rock that flipped partially opened. Metal bars slid into the other half when Leorio opened the door.

"Guess only one per person…" said Leorio.

"We found six more over there!" said Gon.

* * *

"So we're all agreed then?" said Kurapika. Each of them had chosen one door. Fen and Heimdall were undecided and she worked up the courage to ask them, "Umm, is it alright if I go n the same hole with one of you? I'm kinda nervous…" 

"Sure…I guess." Kurapika said.

"Who do you want to jump with?" asked Killua.

"Either you or Kurapika. Leorio is too annoying and Gon is far too trusting."

Killua laughed at her description as it was a little _too_ accurate.

"You can come with me, Fen. But I don't know if all three of us will fit down the hole…" said Kurapika with a look at Heimdall.

Heimdall screeched and Fen translated what he said to the others.

"He said that he had NO intention of going into a building like this! He'll meet us at the bottom," said Fen.

"Ready?" said Gon.

"See you at the bottom!" said Killua as they all jumped down. Kurapika was holding Fen against him so that they could go down together. It worked albeit barely…

* * *

The group all fell into the exact same room together. Killua and Gon laughed as they realized what happened. Kurapika read the inscription on the stone table inside the room so Fen could understand the rules. 

The game was called "Majority Rules." Meaning that the majority of the group choose what the group would do as a whole. There were five bracelets and everyone but Fen put one on. The proctor of the 3rd Exam said over the intercom that Fen wasn't considered a part of the actual group due to the fact that she went down the same hole as Kurapika. In other words, she was an extra in case the fifth person was killed. They had to wait over 2 hours until another person fell down; Fen stifled a groan when she saw who it was.

* * *

"Guess we're all back together, eh?" said Tompa. 

"Whoopee…" grumbled Fen.

After Tompa put his bracelet on, the screen near the door lit up. It read _X _and _O_. Pressing _O _would open the door while _X_ did the opposite. When the screen changed it read:

_O_-4

_X_-1

"Guess I hit the wrong button," laughed Tompa.

"I bet. Just make sure it doesn't happen again or I'll make sure Fen takes your place!" said Leorio, voicing the exact thought that had crossed Fen's mind a moment earlier.

* * *

They walked a few meters before they hit yet another snag. It read the usual _X _and _O_, _X_ meant turning right, _O _meant going left. The screen lit up again and read: _X_-2, _O_-3. Gon and Leorio both pushed _X _and their vote had been overridden by the other three. 

They continued walking only to be stopped by a wide gap; none of them could see how deep the trench was around the square arena in the center of the room. The Examiner came back on the intercom, informing them of the new challenge they had to face.

They had to fight a battle against 5 opponents; if they lost 3 times then they would be disqualified from the Exam. Everyone in the group all pressed _**O**_ to accept the challenge. (Tompa was forced to by Leorio.)


	8. A bottle broken, Fen fights

**A bottle broken, Fen fights**

The one thing that prevented the gang from immediately starting the challenge was who would go first. They all turned when they heard the sound of breaking glass from behind. Fen was trying to clean up the broken glass while a thick fog of strange, blood-colored mist drifted over her head. She stood up into the mist and then things became even stranger as the fog disappeared into Fen.

She looked different as the fog cleared and said quite clearly that she would do the first fight. The group debated about this for two minutes before they agreed to let her go first. The Examiner heard the decision and allowed it even though she was an extra in the group.

* * *

"What's the challenge?" said Fen.

"A fight to the death or until the other admits defeat. Is that acceptable to you?" her opponent asked.

"Sounds reasonable to me, I accept."

"Let the death match begin!" said the Examiner.

Her opponent started the match by charging at her. She stood still until he came close enough and dodged at the last second. She jumped out of reach before he could react to her move and went into a martial arts stance. She motioned for him to 'bring it on' and had a disturbingly calm look about her face. He ran towards her, but this time he didn't fall for the ploy. He threw a punch meant to knock her senseless.

Fen didn't dodge; she parried his attack and then gave him a kick to the side. It came in a hair's breathed to its intended target. Her opponent sent another attack, this time his target was her midsection. She jumped at the last second onto his arm; then ran up and launched her own attack at his head, which made contact with a sickening thud. He was dazed for a few moments, but not out. She jumped off his shoulder and landed gracefully on the arena floor.

"You're better than your size lets on…" said her opponent.

"Thanks…I've had practice."

This time he was on the defensive as she sent wave after wave of various kicks and punches, most of which made contact with her targets. The moment she let up a little he went on the offensive. Fen parried attack upon attack and had a difficult time landed one of her own.

* * *

"I can't believe that Fen can actually fight that well!" said Leorio in astonishment.

"Fen is more talented than we thought. I think that Fen is better then he lets on…" said Killua.

"Fen is also very adept at hiding the truth from most people…" said Kurapika quietly.

* * *

They went back to watching the match, and it appeared that Fen had the upper hand. Then her opponent sent an attack which would have crippled a male opponent which Fen avoided by doing a split, much to everyone's surprise. Fen jumped up and acted unaffected until another attack almost knocked her out of the ring. She was at the edge of the arena, holding on for dear life.

"I…I admit defeat!" Fen said quickly before her opponent tried to force her fall.

Her opponent helped her up out off the edge and she went back to her friends upset that she had been beaten.

* * *

"Wow…" said Killua and Gon in unison.

"You tried your best Fen," said Kurapika.

"How did you do the splits and not wince in pain?!" said Leorio in disbelief.

"What do you…oh that? That's nothing; one time I did something that hurt much worse," Fen replied. (She was surprised that he hadn't figured out the truth.)

* * *

Gon and Kurapika won the next two rounds with surprising ease. They needed one more win to pass on when Leorio screwed up; Big time!

His opponent's game was gambling time. It ended when the other lost all the time on their side. Things went well until his opponent played a trick which thoroughly pissed Fen off. She had Leorio guess whether she was a boy or girl; and Leorio was free to check her to make sure she wasn't lying. (You can see where I'm going with this…)

Before Leorio could start checking to make sure however, Fen showed him _exactly _what she thought of his choice.

* * *

"Gon, can I borrow your fishing rod for a second?" she asked.

"Sure, but what do you…oh," said Gon as he realized Fen's intentions.

The others stood back as Fen cast the rod towards Leorio. The lure hit its mark perfectly and Leorio ended up with a rather large bump where it landed on his head. He turned around to the others and exclaimed, "What'd you do that for?!"

"DO YOU HAVE TO ACT LIKE SUCH A (BLEEPING) PERVERT?!" roared Fen as she reeled in the line.

* * *

In the end Leorio lost the match and lost the entire group over two days off of the allotted time. It was up to Killua to save them. His opponent was a sadistic serial killer who murdered people by literally ripping them to shreds with his bare hands. Killua walked up calmly, grinning. The terms were the same as the first round; only this time, the result would be quite different!

The killer and Killua started walking towards each other and when Killua passed by the monster, he continued walking as if nothing strange had happened. But the murderer started bleeding in his chest in the same area where his heart _used_ to be; Killua had torn the man's heart right out of his chest as if it were nothing! The man fell to the ground dead.

"Great job on the killing tech Killua!" said Fen, impressed.

"So do we move on or what?" said Leorio.

"You may move on, but you have to stay in the room beyond for 50 as per the bet."


	9. The truth is not always so obvious

**The truth is not always so obvious**

When they entered the room, Kurapika finally asked what was on the other's minds.

"Killua, how did you…?"

"I just ripped it out; although I did morph my hand a bit to make it easier…" he said as he demonstrated the technique with morphing.

* * *

"I have another question. Why the hell was Fen so mad at me for saying 'man' during my match?!" grumbled Leorio.

"You mean you honestly don't know?" said Kurapika in surprise.

"Are you saying that you know why he hit me with Gon's lure?!" growled Leorio.

As they were bickering, Fen quietly fell asleep against Kurapika. He gently let her lay in his lap and looked at Leorio in annoyance.

* * *

"Gon, Killua, why don't you two guess why Fen was so mad…" he said quietly.

"I thought it was because he didn't tolerate perverted old men…" said Killua.

"Gon?" said Kurapika in surprise.

"I assumed it was because he didn't like Leorio choosing 'man'."

"Tompa have you figured it out yet?" said Kurapika in surprise.

"Not a clue. I'm still amazed that he did the splits without wincing," replied Tompa.

"You've got to be kidding…You mean I'm the only one who noticed the truth?!" said Kurapika in both amazement and annoyance.

* * *

"Well? Care to clue us in?!" said Leorio annoyed. His voice was loud enough to wake her up and Kurapika said to her, "Fen, do you want to tell them why you hit Leorio back there, or would you like me to?"

"I'll do it…if Leorio shuts up long enough!" glared Fen.

"We're waiting here!" said Tompa.

Fen had everyone's attention as she quit disguising her voice and said, "Next time you want to act like a pervert Leorio, don't do it in front of another _girl!_"

"WHAT!!" said the others.

"You mean you guys haven't noticed it until she said something?" said Kurapika amused.

"Not a clue! We always thought Fen was a guy like us!" said Killua and Gon.

"Now you know. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to attempt having a nap…" said Fen, her eyes closing tiredly.

Kurapika gently put his blue outfit over her like a blanket as she fell back asleep in his lap. The others decided to let her sleep for a while.

* * *

"So what do you lot want to know now?" said Fen after she had fully woken up.

"Is your name really Fen?" said Gon.

"Yes and No."

"Eh?!"

"My name used to be Lunartimus before I changed it to Fenra, or Fen for short. I have no idea what my birth name is at all."

"Who would name their kid Lunartimus?" asked Killua.

"Probably the same moron who won't use a pan to cook bacon…" grumbled Fen.

"Is that bird of yours really a bird?" asked Tompa.

"Not really. His name _is_ Heimdall, but he prefers to travel on my shoulder as a hawk instead of his true form."

"So what are you two?" asked Gon.

"Gods…" said Fen with a straight face.

"No, seriously, what are you and Heimdall?"

"We're gods out of Norse Mythology. Heimdall guards the gates to the World of the Gods and I'm his consort."

"You're joking…" said Kurapika.

"Dead serious. My 'father' is the Dark god of Mischief, Tricks and Flame, Loki. He is also the father of the three who are precursors to Ragnarok, or the end of the world. Fenrisulven, Migardsomr and Hel are the eldest and my older siblings."

"So what is Norse mythology? I've never even heard of it," asked Kurapika.

"Folktales from my world. It's not surprising that you've never heard of it; after all it doesn't exist in this dimension."

* * *

"Here's one thing I really don't get…what was that bottle you were picking up and just what the hell was that red mist that you stood up in?" asked Killua.

"My…memories…"

"What?"

"I was reborn into the world of the gods so I could be protected. Loki placed all the memories I had of my original life into the Mist bottles so I wouldn't lose them. Whenever one breaks and I inhale the Mist I get a little piece of it back."

"Why don't you just break all of them at once and get them all back?" asked Gon.

"Three reasons. One, I can't regain all my memories at once or I'll go insane. Two, I made sure that I could only regain them by accidentally breaking them or using them for their original purpose. And three, because doing so will wipe the memories of the World of the gods away forever if I tried that."

"That explains why you haven't broken them. But why did that bottle break back there?" asked Kurapika.

"That's something I'd like to know myself. One minute I'm listening to your discussion on who goes first, the next I hear one of them breaking on the ground!"

* * *

The rest of the time spent in the room went on like this. Fen told them what they wanted to know within reason. When they left the room they had less than a day left to get to the bottom. Everything went by fast until they got to the final test of Majority Rules.

It was a choice of either taking the long way and everyone passed, or taking the short cut and only three pass. Now came a true test of their compromise. They couldn't choose who should stay behind and it almost came to everyone fighting against one another. Fen had had enough of their bickering and said loudly, "KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!"

The others stood there stunned as she calmed down enough to speak.

* * *

"Look we either quit bickering and pass or we continue fighting each other and all fail! It's your choice!" she growled.

"What do you suggest we do?" asked Tompa annoyed.

"Pick the long way."

"I get it!" said Gon.

"But we have less than an hour left!" said Killua.

"I said we choose the long way, not to actually take it!" said Fen annoyed.

"Then why…?" asked Leorio confused.

"Pick the long way around and then destroy the wall between them. That way we all pass!" said Gon.

And that was exactly what they did. All six of them made it to the bottom, though they did cut it close. The next challenge was going to be difficult.


	10. The mystery Exam: part 1

**The mystery Exam: part 1**

As the airship picked up the remaining examinees, Heimdall flew in circles trying to locate Fen. He finally spotted her boarding the ship and tried to reach her before the door closed, to no avail. The ship lifted off, Heimdall still gliding outside. Fen noticed this and went to a window where the air currents would help him glide alongside the ship. (If she had tried to open the window at the height and speed they were traveling at it would have been disastrous.)

When the ship finally reached its destination, Heimdall was tired, frustrated and annoyed as hell. Fen exited the ship alongside Kurapika and he flew down to her shoulder. After Heimdall flew down onto her shoulder, he slumped exhausted.

* * *

"Poor Heimdall-kun…I'm sorry you didn't catch up to me before the door closed!" she said gently.

**"_I should have said something before you got on…now if you'll excuse me, I really need a nap!"_** he cawed back. His eyes closed tiredly as he fell asleep, perched atop her left shoulder. She smiled and gently held him.

That was before they found out about the cost of staying at the floating hotel! Everyone was stunned that the owners were actually charging them to stay at the hotel; especially since the prices were astronomically over priced! They had two options; either they pay in cash or they look among the shipwrecks for antiques that were the equivalent of the charge. Everyone took the latter of the two. Fen decided to look underwater but worried about leaving Heimdall above and defenseless.

* * *

"If you want me to watch over him while you search, I wouldn't mind." Kurapika said kindly. He had no intention of diving underwater to search anyway!

"Arigato!" said Fen happily. She carefully placed Heimdall on Kurapika's shoulder; he stirred slightly, but went right back to sleep. She dove underwater beneath a richly decorated ship and began searching.

Kurapika wandered around looking, and even ran into Leorio. When he went into a ship which looked vaguely familiar to him, he tried not to gasp in shock. Heimdall wearily opened his eye when he felt his surprise; when he realized that it wasn't Fen holding him, he woke up pretty quick!

**"_Who are you and where the hell is Fen?!"_**

"Looks like you finally woke up, Heimdall…" Kurapika said amused.

**"_Where's Fen?!"_**

"Fen is underwater searching for treasure. We have to find enough valuable items to pay for the hotel room," Kurapika explained.

**"_So she's underwater, eh? I have one final question then; why did she hand me to you and not Killua or Gon?"_**

"I was the only one to figure out that she was a girl during the third exam. The others didn't have a clue until she told them herself! By the way, you're more than welcome to switch forms and go back to your nap. I'm not planning on leaving the ship for a little while…" said Kurapika as he set Heimdall down off his shoulder.

Heimdall went from hawk to boy in a flurry of feathers and said, "Thanks for telling me. I'll go back to my nap and you wake me up when you leave."

Heimdall fell asleep on the deck of the ship while Kurapika examined it. His suspicions were confirmed as he spotted a golden-jeweled lizard hanging from a corpse. Fen came in around that time and had a chat with Kurapika. Heimdall woke up around half an hour later and yawned.

* * *

"Welcome back to the land of the living, sleepy-hawk!" teased Fen.

"Har har. Where's Kurapika?" asked Heimdall.

"He went to show his findings. He said that we are welcome to split the room with him. What do you think?"

"I think I'll go see if Killua and Gon have a spare place. I'll stick with them tonight, 'kay?" said Heimdall with a shrug.

"Suit yourself. I think Gon and Killua are on the large battleship over there and have already got their room. Why don't you fly over and ask?" said Fen.

"I will in a little bit after I get something to eat. See you later Fen," said Heimdall as he turned back into a hawk and prepared to go hunting for fish. Fen laughed and went to Kurapika's room. Heimdall spotted Gon fishing on the side of the boat and decided to join him.

* * *

"Isn't that Heimdall, Fen's hawk?" said Killua as the bird flew down toward them.

"Sure looks an awful lot like him. There's one way to find out though," said Gon as he called out to the hawk, "Hey Heimdall! Down here!"

Heimdall was right above the ship and transformed back into his human form out of shock. He barely landed safely onto the deck and went to talk to Gon.

"How did you know I could change forms?!" he said in surprise.

"Fen told us back in the tower. Want to fish with us?" said Gon.

"I thought you'd never ask!" laughed Heimdall; when his stomach roared he sweatdropped in embarrassment.

Gon and Killua laughed.

"Looks like you haven't eaten in a while, bird-boy!" Killua joked.

"Not for three days if you must know…" grumbled Heimdall, "There wasn't any food on that damn island with the tower at all!"

"Well, we're fishing for something to eat anyway, so come on and join us! Killua's turn is next and you can go after him, sound fair?" said Gon cheerfully.

After around 15 minutes the fish were ready. Killua had a bit of a problem eating his because he freaked out at the fish's eyes being on him. (He thought the thing was still alive!) Heimdall switched fish with him and they all sat down to enjoy their meal.


	11. The mystery Exam: part 2

**The mystery Exam: part 2**

While Kurapika took a quick shower, Fen was on the bed reading a book she swiped from the tower challenge. Because of her knack for dialects, she quickly picked up the world's language. Kurapika exited the shower, Fen still immersed in her book. Leorio came in and the two said in unison, "Don't you ever knock?!"

* * *

"Hey, your previous roommate wanted to switch," Leorio explained.

"Even roommates need to respect each others privacy!" said Fen annoyed.

"Speaking of roommates, why are you here Fen?! I know for a fact that you didn't even come up there with any treasure!" said Leorio.

"She couldn't find anything good, so I offered to split my room with her instead. She said Heimdall wanted to share rooms with Gon and Killua tonight," Kurapika explained, his patience wearing thin.

"But that's cheating!" exclaimed Leorio.

"Out of all of the examinees, Fen is by far the youngest. Plus, I didn't want to leave her alone in a room with a stranger!" said Kurapika, angrily.

"But why Kurapika?" asked Leorio.

"Kurapika and Killua are the only people I trust in this exam. Killua's sharing a room with Gon who's too naïve for his own good, and Kurapika had more than enough space to share. So, I choose Kurapika!" said Fen annoyed.

"But…!" started Leorio before they cut him off.

"WILL YOU JUST DROP THE SUBJECT ALREADY!" they roared.

* * *

Kurapika left the room, Fen stayed where she was and went back to her book. Leorio went after him soon after, Fen in tow.

Gon, Killua and Heimdall went exploring the ship after they finished their meal. They went up to the main cabin and Killua touched a button which made them all wince two seconds later. It was the blow horn; it sounded off, which went eerily quiet after it faded into the night. The sound of the horn was ceremonially apt; as Kurapika was giving the crew of the ship he investigated a final burial.

The ship which he had discovered earlier belonged to the Kuruta clan, _his_ clan! The pendant he found was an amulet of protection found only in the Kuruta legends. Fen waited outside and decided to go for a final swim before bed. When Kurapika threw the amulet into the ocean, he assumed it would rest in peace at the bottom forever. Instead it fell on Fen's head underwater. She held it in her hand and knew immediately how it got there.

* * *

She would have let it fall, but she was caught in a current and almost got swept away; the pendant was the only thing that saved her by snagging on a nearby rock. She went up and then held the amulet in her hand, admiring the craftsmanship. She debated on letting it go or keeping it when she realized that it really _did_ have some protective magic about it. She placed it around her neck and tucked it under her shirt for safe keeping. She got out of the water and headed back to the room, where Kurapika and Leorio were waiting.

Everyone had settled down for the night, and Fen curled up next to Kurapika after she took a shower. That night the couple who owned the hotel flew away in the airship, leaving the examinees stranded alone! Everyone ran outside as it lifted off the ship and away. They stood there stunned until dawn finally arrived.

They were still trying to figure out why the old couple left; then they finally went to investigate the ship for some answers. They found several clues, but no hard answers until Gon and Killua found the old ship's log that the former captain had left.

* * *

By this time, at least 12 people were preparing to leave the ship completely and head towards Zebil Island. They did this against the advice of the others, and they would pay for it with their very lives. A natural phenomenon which occurred once every ten years had arrived. An ocean-storm and a typhoon had combined to create a ferocious storm in which attempting to navigate with a small boat was completely suicidal!

Out of the 37 people who survived the tower, only 25 remained alive when the storm passed. It would have been 13 lives if Gon hadn't swum to a small boat and saved the man inside it! When everyone was safely inside, no one spoke until the storm's fury had subsided for the night. Kurapika read another entry out of the logbook which filled everyone with dread. The first wave of the storm had passed, but the second wave would arrive exactly 24 hours after the first; this time, nothing would remain when it finally calmed. Everyone immediately went to work on freeing the floating battleship which had been turned into the hotel.


	12. The mystery Exam: part 3

**The mystery Exam: part 3**

Fen and Heimdall went and did two separate tasks to help the others escape. Gon and Killua went to free the turbines which were snagged with seaweed, Leorio went underwater to find artillery shells for the cannons, and everyone else did their assigned task without complaint.

Fen checked the artillery shells that Leorio sent up, to make sure that they weren't duds. Heimdall flew overhead for a while searching for survivors who were still outside after crashing during the storm. He found none alive. Then he went and helped Killua and Gon free the turbines. They finished with the turbines right before the storm made itself known. They went to where Fen was to find out that Leorio still hadn't come back up. Gon was worried, and would have gone back underwater if Fen hadn't beaten him to the punch.

* * *

She dove deep under the ship, and saw the boat that Leorio found the shells in. He had one of the shells pinning him down, so she managed to free him only to be knocked unconscious by a beam which hit her head! Kurapika was worried about them, so much so that he had a hard time keeping focused on the task at hand! That is, until Heimdall told him something Fen forgot to mention about her brother Migardsomr.

"Kurapika, don't worry about Fen and Leorio! Fen can breath underwater by turning into a serpent like her brother Migardsomr, so she can handle herself!" Heimdall said over the intercom.

* * *

Fen sneezed underwater when Heimdall was talking to Kurapika, and it woke her up. Leorio came to a moment later and they attempted to return to the surface before the others got too far away! It appeared as though Fen and Leorio wouldn't make it in time, and she was running out of air due to her human form. Leorio was about to remove his air tube and give it to her when she started to glow! Fen rapidly started morphing from human-to-serpent-dragon in mere moments. She grasped Leorio's suit with her fangs and zipped through the water and back into the fresh air faster than he could blink. The others were afraid of her due to her monstrous form, but she hoisted Leorio onto the deck and slowly reverted back to her usual self.

Suddenly the ship hit a large rock which threw Kurapika hard against the wall. Without someone manning the steering wheel, the boat began to capsize! Kurapika fell unconscious from hitting his head, and right before he completely blacked out, he saw someone take his place at the steering wheel. Thanks to Killua's suggestion at aiming the cannon at the tornado which was approaching them faster and faster, they righted themselves and changed the direction of the water spout to go the opposite way!

* * *

Morning came at last, everyone who was on the ship were happy to be alive. Kurapika slowly came to and found out that someone bandaged the bump on his head which was bleeding before he passed out. Fen and Heimdall were on one of the cannons admiring the sunrise. The airship was coming back, the Examiner on board. The secret Third Exam was finally over, and 25 passed to the next round!

The Examiner had them pull out lots in the order they exited the tower three days earlier. An attendant came and announced that they would be arriving on Zebil Island shortly, and that those still remaining in the exam were welcome to participate next year should they fail. This was met with silence and she sweatdropped at their reaction. The next Exam had them hunting each other; this time, Gon's luck had finally run out!


	13. Gon's luck runs out

**Gon's luck runs out!**

Gon drew his lot and looked at the number printed on it. When he saw it, the number filled him with dread and despair! Out of all the remaining examinees, he had drawn the one person who scared him the most! The number he had drawn was _**44**_...he had to hunt down Hisoka, the homicidal clown! Killua and Fen whistled at his bad luck. They didn't envy him one bit.

* * *

Killua had drawn 198 and Fen got 199. They all sighed with relief that they had not gotten each other's numbers! Killua left Gon and Fen shortly after and when they finally arrived at Zebil Island, they went their separate ways and the hunt began. Gon spent the first few days practicing with his fishing rod, trying to perfect his cast so it would nab the number Hisoka had. 

Meanwhile Killua was walking along when he stopped and said clearly, "Come on out already, I know you're out there following me!"

When no one showed themselves, he grinned and said, "So you want to do this the hard way…fine by me! And here I thought that I wasn't gonna have any fun!"

Fen and Heimdall were searching the island for their prey. They were having little luck until Heimdall spotted Killua.

While this was happening, Gon had found Hisoka and was waiting for the perfect moment to strike and use his new tech to snag Hisoka's badge.

* * *

Leorio ran into Tompa of all people, who had managed to come down with a bad stomach! He agreed to give Tompa some medication in exchange for info on Leorio's target. When Tompa finished giving Leorio the info, he begged him to hand the medication. Leorio did so reluctantly, but when he opened his suitcase, a monkey popped out of nowhere and stole his badge! 

"Tompa you liar!" roared Leorio as another examinee held his badge.

Tompa smirked and popped some of his own medical supply which cured his stomach. Then he revealed that Leorio had been his target all along! His accomplished had switched cards with Tompa to deceive him; which only served to piss Leorio off and put him in the mood to kill! He started chasing Tompa even though the accomplice was the one with his badge. Tompa gloated and was caught off guard when Kurapika came out of nowhere to attack him! Kurapika and Leorio teamed up yet again to help retrieve the badge that was stolen. As it turned out, Tompa had been Kurapika's target; the fact that he helped Leorio was only a bonus!

* * *

Fen and Heimdall, on the other hand, weren't having such good luck finding their target. Their patience was running thin; things looked bleak for any poor fool who dared get in their way. When Fen ran into Killua, she was at wits end! 

"Hey Fen, Heimdall! Having much luck?" called out Killua.

"More like the opposite!" grumbled Fen.

"Wasn't your target one number higher than mine?" he asked.

"I think so. Wasn't yours 198?"

"That's the one. How 'bout we hunt together? That might be easier on your nerves!" he laughed.

"Thanks!" she said gratefully.

The next day, they were about to go hunting when their prey came to them instead! The three brothers (their numbers were 197-199) were tired of stalking and decided to make their move! They caught them by surprise for about two milliseconds. The first brother vanished and reappeared behind Fen, his knife at her back.

"Either you two hand over your numbers or I'll stick her!" he snarled.

Killua gave him a look that said, "You're in for it now!"

Fen was thoroughly pissed, her nerves still shot from her unsuccessful hunting earlier. Her eyes began to glow red, and a blue crescent moon appeared on her forehead. Her hair blowing around from the wind which had come out of nowhere; she vanished as a ball of white light suddenly appeared. When the light dissipated, a very large, very angry wolf demon was in Fen's place.

It snarled; the three brothers all wet their pants out of fear. It looked at Killua, and then made a motion with its head as if to say, "You can take the tags now!" He followed its suggestion and then threw the one they didn't need far away. It snapped its jaws above the 3 brothers who fled in horror of the creature. When they had left the demon's line of sight, it glowed white and slowly turned back into Fen!

"Wow…" Killua said impressed. He had never seen someone with the ability to terrify others and make them run inhumanly fast.

"What…what just happened?!" she said confused.

Killua looked at her dumbfounded. Then he fell to the ground, laughing his head off! She stood there confused as hell, while Killua tried to recover enough to tell her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gon had been following Hisoka for three days straight, and had seen the man with the pins sticking out everywhere remove them and change forms! He had a hard time not jumping immediately to his friend's defense when Hisoka ran into them. They narrowly avoided a confrontation by giving him the spare tag they had collected from Tompa's accomplice.  
Gon gave up the chance he had to save his friends. It was then that he felt _it_. Hisoka wasn't happy; it was clear that the next person he came across would die. Gon at first tried to follow him, but realized that would never work! He had to find Hisoka's target before he did; this was his last chance to nab his plate! He climbed up a tree and scouted the area around him. It took him mere moments to locate the next victim. He rushed past Hisoka in an attempt to get there before he did. He finally arrived with less than a minute to spare.

Hisoka arrived, and as soon as he saw his next victim, he went on the attack! Gon readied his rod and at the precise moment when Hisoka attacked the target, Gon finally nicked his plate! It flew back towards Gon who stood there for a few moments in shock. Hisoka turned and faced Gon, and then he started to walk towards him. Gon finally managed to get his legs to cooperate and ran like hell. He kept running and even looked at the plate, happy that he finally got his target.

Then the unthinkable happened; out of nowhere something hits him in the neck and he staggers into a clearing nearby. He collapsed on the ground, Hisoka's plate mere inches from his hand. Someone approached and picked up the plate, then rummaged through Gon's bag to take his. It was none other than the same man Gon had saved during the first wave of the storm on the ship! He complimented Gon's ability to concentrate and his accuracy with the aim of his rod; he commented as a parting bit of advice to watch his back next time. When the dart blower paused to muse about Gon, he fell to the ground dead. Hisoka approached Gon, both of their plates in his hand. He came up to Gon, who was still paralyzed by the poison in the dart.

* * *

"You surprised me," said Hisoka. Gon looked at him; all the while trying desperately to reach his rod.

"So you were waiting for a chance to hit me all along," murmured Hisoka, "While I attacked…"

Gon glared at Hisoka, no longer trying to reach the rod. His eyes never left Hisoka for a second.

"Was that your own special technique to hide your presence?" Hisoka asked, "Superb. Just like a wild animal. Your timing was perfect, too. You hid your attack within my own."

Hisoka had been playing with the two plates as he spoke; when he finished he threw them down to Gon, still unable to move. Hisoka mentioned that it might normally take 10 days to recover, but he suspected that Gon would be up again within the remaining 4 days. He left, his back turned to Gon.

"Wait…" said Gon weakly; Hisoka faced him yet again, "The plates. Didn't you come to take them back?"

"No, I just came to praise you," replied Hisoka, "The guy with the hat was my target. So I've already got six points. I don't need those."

"I don't want them either," retorted Gon.

"Don't say that. I am lending them to you. Just give them back some time. Well, see you." Hisoka said as he once again turned to leave. Gon somehow managed to stand up; he was determined to face Hisoka then and there. Hisoka responded by punching Gon in the face, knocking him down. He left without another word.


	14. Into the den of snakes

**Into the den of snakes**

After Gon had recovered from both poison and Hisoka's punch, he went to the starting point to wait. He didn't have to wait long for his friends to arrive. Kurapika had already gained the 6 points needed to proceed to the next round; Leorio still needed to get his target's badge before he could proceed. Gon surprised them by dropping out of the tree to greet them.

* * *

After they were reunited, they went in search of Leorio's target. They found her in a cave nearby. Leorio went in alone, and told the others to stay there for thirty minutes. If he didn't come back by then; they were free to come rescue him. Kurapika and Gon were waiting when…they heard Leorio try to warn them. They rushed into the cave, and unknowingly into a deadly trap set by the snake charmer. They found their friend on the ground with several bite marks on him. His target Ponzo tried to warn them; she barely stopped them from suffering the exact same fate as Leorio. If they had continued to go forward, they would have sprung the trap.

The snake charmer's trap was a deviously clever one. He had the snakes guard not only the entrance, but himself as well. Which proved to be his undoing. When Ponzo went to take his plate, the snakes dropped down and went in for the attack! Her secret weapon was sprung when she both fell and screamed, and the charmer died from an allergic reaction. With the snakes guarding his body, she couldn't get close enough to treat him in time; he died and she remained stuck inside the cave.

* * *

Gon and Kurapika were upset because they couldn't save their friend. Until Gon did something incredibly stupid; which actually saved them! He went to the snake charmer's body, hoping that the anti-venom would be there. If it wasn't, not only would Leorio die, but Gon as well! He searched the body, snakes coiling themselves all around him, biting everywhere they could reach. He found the anti-venom and threw it to Kurapika who caught it. He fell; the snakes uncoiled and went back to their previous positions. Ponzo dragged him away from the snake charmer, Kurapika was already administering the anti-venom to Leorio; Ponzo did likewise to Gon. However, the real problem still hadn't been solved; how can they leave the cave in time without being bitten?!

Gon came up with a crazy yet effective answer. Ponzo had let loose sleeping gas before she came into the cave, though it hadn't reached far enough to work. She still had enough to knock out the snakes which would take around five minutes. The only question left was; who could hold their breath that long without passing out themselves? Since the idea had been Gon's, he was the one who volunteered to carry the others to safety. (According to him, his current record for holding his breath is 9 minutes, 44 seconds.) Since there wasn't any open air in the cave, the gas proved to be most effective. He carried the others out and didn't let go of his breath until he had reached a safe distance from the gas. He set the others down next to the trees and went to retrieve his plate and Hisoka's plate. Kurapika woke up right as he reached the beach, Leorio came to soon after. He went to Ponzo and took her plate while she was still unconscious. (She didn't wake up until Tompa showed up and tried to steal the Snake Charmer's plate while she was still under the gas's effects.)

* * *

By the time Gon retrieved the plates, the test had finally ended. Everyone with 6 points had to return to the starting point; any time over the limit was extra. There were only 8 people remaining out of the 37 who came. 


	15. The final exam is A PAPER TEST?

**The final exam is…A PAPER TEST?!**

While they were on the airship to the final Exam site, they were told how long it would take to get there; though the President of the Hunter Exam _didn't _reveal what would happen in the final exam! After the Examiners left, everyone tried to speculate what the final exam would be. One of the older and more experienced Examinees said that the final test would be…A WRITTEN EXAM?!

All the rookies and one of the other experienced examinees had a look that had a combination of: shock, horror, dismay and worry! At least six out of the 8 left ran to the library on the ship. Fen would have followed their example, but at the last minute she heard Hisoka _chuckle._

* * *

"Why would that homicidal clown chuckle unless…the final exam _isn't_ a paper test?" she muttered to herself. She used her telepathy to read the clown's mind and found out that the likelihood of there being a paper test was slim to none. She decided to let Killua and Kurapika know about this, though Gon and the others were on their own.

"What do you mean that the final exam isn't a paper test?" both Kurapika and Killua asked when she told them.

"I mean that the chance of it being a written exam are almost 0. Why else would Hisoka chuckle when the others ran to the library?"

"Should we tell the others?" they asked.

"I think it'd be MORE amusing to see the look on their faces when they realize there _is no_ written exam!" Fen laughed evilly

Killua and Kurapika agreed; so the others didn't know until the last minute. They should have realized this sooner when they had to answer questions that the President asked. When Fen's turn came, she asked him a simple, yet deceptive question of her own.

* * *

"Sir, has the Hunter Exam ever involved a written test?" she asked. This would prove once and for all whether her suspicions were correct.

"No, I have yet to meet a Hunter who actually enjoys that kind of test."

"Arigato!" she said as she left the room. The others came to her and asked whether or not the interview was the final exam. Her reply?

* * *

"Nope. Just a simple interview with two easy questions. Though I did find out what's _NOT _on the Final exam…" she said vaguely. This prompted the others to pester her on what she meant by that.

"If you really want to know, just ask the right questions," Fen replied bluntly, "Though I forget what he said about the exam had about tests…"

"NANI!" they all said in horror.

* * *

"Fen, is there something you aren't telling them?" asked Kurapika suspiciously. She looked at him and then checked to make sure the others weren't listening in.

"I asked the president whether or not there has ever been a written exam for _any_ part of the test."

"What did he say?"

She giggled, "He said that he had yet to meet a Hunter who enjoyed _that_ kind of test!"

Kurapika laughed with her. She made him swear that he wouldn't tell anyone else about this. She wanted it to be a surprise.

"Besides, it's not my problem if the others are too thick-headed to ask the right question!"

* * *

So the other examinees studied for a test that wasn't even real. Fen actually told the president why she asked that question and they got a good laugh out of it! He did say that it would involve a bizarre battle system; she promised him that she wouldn't say anything about what the exam would really be. She stayed true to her word; though keeping a straight face when she saw the others studying proved to be extremely difficult! 


	16. Fen remembers her true name

**Fen remembers her true name!**

When they finally reached the exam site, Fen was feeling strange, (er, stranger than usual anyway!) Since she was good at acting, she kept this from her friends. This worked surprisingly well; that is, until she had to go up against the blabbermouth ninja!

* * *

Her match came right after Gon's; since the ninja gave up in the first match (he let Gon win by admitting defeat even though Gon was almost beaten), he was very determined to win this round. She went to her designated position and prepared for the judge to start the match; she made Heimdall stay with Killua for this round.

* * *

The match began with a bang (almost literally in fact!) She blocked blow after blow, kick after kick by the ninja. She was so busy blocking that she had NO time to counterattack! When the ninja landed a hit on her, she was unable to see. His second hit rendered her almost completely deaf! The third hit looked like it did her in; after each successful blow made by the ninja, the feeling from before became stronger until…

SMACK! She parried his attack with one of her own. She finally went on the offensive and now the ninja was the one busy blocking! Everyone stood there stunned at her sudden comeback. Her attacks became more and more aggressive after every direct hit she made. It wasn't until they finally got a good look at her eyes that they realized the truth. When Fen first started out, her eyes were red-gold. Now they were pure topaz, and her true form was unleashed!

"Fen! What's wrong with you?!" exclaimed Kurapika.

**"What did you call me?!"**

"What's wrong with your voice?! You're acting strange Fen!" said Leorio.

**"My name isn't Fen you baka! If I hear you lot call me that again, then there'll be hell to pay!"** she growled.

"Fen…" said Heimdall in shock.

**"I thought I just told you…my name ISN'T FEN! Since you can't seem to grasp that fact, I'll not answer any more questions until you get my name right!"**

"Then what is your name?!" retorted Leorio.

"Kirimaru…Kiri-chan for short. Isn't that right?" said Kurapika quietly.

**"'Bout damn time you figured it out!"** she muttered.

* * *

The ninja took this opportunity and used it to his advantage. He attacked her from behind; only to realize that two of her fingers on her right hand were glowing a menacing shade of green. He failed to stop his attack in time; she whipped around before any of them could blink and a green-whip-like object nailed him on his cheek. He yelped in pain and shock when it struck.

Kiri-chan looked royally pissed off at him. She growled angrily and he started backing away as fast as he could.

**"A little word of advice for the ninja who can't seemed to grasp the concept of shutting up…never attack a hanyou from behind, unless you want your hand snapped off!"**

The ninja was freaking out and they judges could just barely hear him stammer, "I-I-I a-a-ad-m-mit de-f-feat!"

"Winner, Kiri-chan!" called out the judge.

* * *

Her eyes started to turn a yellowish-color and she went back to the others. Most of them quickly backed away; the only ones who didn't were Killua and Kurapika. Because of that, she didn't glare at them.

"Kiri-chan, what happened back there?" Kurapika finally asked.

"_My body reverted back to its original form out of self-defense. The attacks that the ninja was making were putting me in too much danger of death, so it changed to protect me."_

"And what happened to Fen?!" asked Heimdall both angry and concerned.

"_She's recovering from the vicious assault. When she's finally healed, then I'll return her. But not before."_

"What do you mean, _not before_?!" growled Heimdall menacingly.

"_Look, bird-brain, I didn't reappear for nothing. I only came out to save her since she was close to a fatal injury. When she's healed completely, then I'll switch back!"_

"But…" Heimdall started when she cut him off.

"_What part of 'she'll return when she recovers' do you not get?! She'll be back after she gets better! So back off!"_ Kiri-chan snapped annoyed.

"I think she means to say that when her injuries are no longer fatal she'll go back to being Fen," said Killua. Heimdall raised his hands in defeat. What happens during Killua's match against someone from his nightmares will change Heimdall's opinion of Kiri-chan!


	17. Who do you fear more?

**Who do you fear more?**

In an unforeseen mistake, Killua admits to defeat without even fighting Pokkuro who was his opponent. This was mainly due to his assumption that he'd win the next fight without any problems. He would have been right…if his opponent hadn't been from his own family! Killua is paralyzed in fear after he recognizes his opponent's voice, after he spoke his name. When he removes all the pins from his head, Killua is horrified and unable to move; all he can do is say, "Aniki…"(means brother.)

His opponent's real name was Illumi Zaoldyeck, a.k.a. the oldest of the five sons and Killua's older brother. He was also one of the people who trained Killua from birth, the other person being his father. Killua is terrified, as everyone could see. Hisoka is only one who knew that the rookie with all the pins was actually Illumi.

Kiri-chan was bored, but when she saw Killua and his terror, she snapped back to the present. She looks at Illumi, and starts to get very irritated. The moment she senses the oppressive aura around him is when she starts to get pissed. She decides to do something about Killua's fear…though he would NOT like what she had in mind!

_

* * *

**Killua…look at me.**_

He slowly turns to the direction of the voice only to become even _more_ afraid than he already was! He was gazing into the eyes…_of an evil and merciless demon._

_K-K-Kiri—C-chan?!_ Killua stammers. He doesn't know who was worse, her or Illumi. (Which was the idea!)

_**Close…I'll give you one more chance at saying my name before I start becoming annoyed…**_

Killua silently gulps and tries not to stutter as he says, _Kirimaru-san?_

_**Drop the 'san' part and I'll let it slide. Here's a riddle you better solve unless you want your head literally bitten off,** _Kirimaru grins evilly as she gives him the riddle, _**Who should you be more afraid of right now, the demon that you're listening to or the freak with the pins sticking out all over the place? Choose wisely…**_

Killua had two options; either he faces his brother or he faces a demon that could easily kill him without a second thought? His choices were grim, but one look at his brother's eyes told him who he should really be afraid of.

He takes a deep breath before he looks Kirimaru in the eye once more and says, _Right now I'm more terrified of you than of my brother!_

Kirimaru chuckles as she replies, _**Smart boy…I'll let you keep your head if you actually face your brother and not be afraid…**_

* * *

Illumi couldn't understand why his younger brother no longer looked afraid to attack him. For some reason he didn't hear Kirimaru and her riddle for Killua! She had been speaking to Killua and Killua alone through telepathy. In fact the image of a merciless demon was actually a mental image Kiri-chan sent him! This all happened in the blink of an eye. One moment Killua was paralyzed with fear of his brother, the next he was could actually make an attack! Illumi was so surprised that Killua actually had the guts to attack that he couldn't defend against him.

"Impossible…how could you have gained enough nerve to actually attack me?!" Illumi said, visibly shaken.

"I found out there was someone that I was more afraid of than _you_," Killua says calmly as he once again goes in for the attack.

"And who could that be? Your little friend, Gon?" sneered Illumi.

"Gon doesn't scare me you moron. _She_ does!" said Killua as he pointed towards Kiri-chan who was grinning evilly.


End file.
